The Genius of Chinese Characters by Graham Earnshaw

The Genius of Chinese Characters by Graham Earnshaw

Chinese characters are magic capsules of history and culture, and this book celebrates the richness that attaches to each one. The Chinese written language is today the only language in the world which is basically non-phonetic, using pictograms to convey meaning. The history of the characters goes back over 3,000 years, and their impact extends over most of East Asia. The Genius of Chinese Characters details the breadth and depth of the thousands of pictograms that make up the script, starting with the most simple and commonly-used, presenting one word per page from a variety of different perspectives, for a total of 250 in this volume. It looks at the many ways in which each character can be pronounced, including in Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese, as well as a variety of Chinese languages and dialects. But it also shows the breadth of meaning each character possesses and the range of ways in which they have been written throughout history. In short, this book is a celebration of a writing system.

Graham Earnshaw is a writer and publisher who has long lived in the China world. He has written and published a number of books, including On Your Own in China (1984), Tales of Old Shanghai (2008) and an account of his continuing walk across China, The Great Walk of China (2010). His translation of the Jin Yong kung fu novel The Book and The Sword was published by Oxford University Press in 2004.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9789888552825
ISBN 10	9888552821
Title	The Genius of Chinese Characters
Author	Graham Earnshaw
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Earnshaw Books Limited
Year published	2022-01-27
Number of pages	268
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.